Strengthening Struggles
by HylianWolfos94
Summary: To earn independence is a struggle in itself. The journey from boy to man… It is the start of such a journey that this day marks. But, when such a journey is thrust onto the shoulders of a young boy- Jace, it may be more painful and full of heartache than he thought. And once he's passed this first test, will he be willing to accept whatever else life throws at him?
The day was tense and time had eased passed noon. Regardless of the tension, the sun was shining brightly and the sky was clear. It seemed like a day for victory, but was mixed with a tone of uncertainty. Our scene begins at the palace… The deku palace was still and quiet- which was strange for the queen.

Her majesty, Acacia, walked through one of her many gardens watering flowers. As usual, she had a collected and calm glow about her. But she was used to hearing the chaotic pitter-patter of her two sons and daughter running throughout the yards and palace. The boys bellowed with laughter and gallivanted through the halls, pranking palace guards or chatting about silly things growing boys chatted about. She smiled when she thought on this delightful noise of which irked her husband.

It was then her smile fell. The sound was gone today, and it'd be a rarity to hear again after today. Her youngest son was leaving today, moving out on his own. This boy was not her son by blood however… He was the child of two old friends whom died years back. The passing of these friends left their only son, Jacon, an orphan- at the age of six no less. Acacia promised to take care of him till he left to carry on his family's traveling name to find something fabled through their history. But… She wasn't sure if she could let him go. Jace may not be hers, but she saw him as her son regardless.

As she watered her flowers, the steps of little feet and the rhythm of shaking leaves came within earshot and she turned to the garden gate. Standing the doorway was a scruffy little blond-headed boy with thick leaves very much fitting for his tunnel deku status, ten years of age. His leaves grew longer until they looked much like hair- looking close to messy and soft feather grass. His feather-grass hair rested softly over his little shoulders and he stood firm and proud in the garden gate holding a big tan rucksack filled to the brim with his belongings. His chest grew blond leaves that just barely stood, dipped in red. He had red elbow leaves and his lower legs were covered nicely in small red leaves till they barely dragged the ground. He wore only his father's vest- which was clearly too big for him, and a green fur loincloth. His lower arms were somewhat big and melded right into his little, wide, chubby hands. Though for a tunnel deku, he was still small and looked as if he lacked the natural tunnel-digging strength. He did not let it bother him however. Compared to the other kids and small guards, he was still quite strong.

"My son, you are ready with haste?" Acacia questioned softly. "Are you sure you are prepared?"  
The child approached Acacia, having to look up to see eye-to-eye.  
His sharp yet soft round eyes looked certain and he nodded.  
"I've been waiting so long to leave, ma'am. I just can't stay here anymore…"  
Acacia thought on his reply… Jace was neglected here. Her husband did not like him, and the guards did not treat him like family. Staying here has already done more damage to his growth than good. She sighed and put the watering can down before kneeling to Jace. He stepped close and she placed a hand at the side of his face.  
"Little Jace, I worry you are acting too soon. But I know it is not healthy that I hold you back. I just don't know how to feel. If something were to happen to you, I don't know if your father would forgive me- or if I could forgive myself. I will miss you so much…"

The boy leaned into her hand and snuggled close. "I'll miss you too, Cayshia. And I'll miss Auran and Aritha, as well. But I'll come back every now and then. I won't live far."  
She knew he was looking forward to leaving and being on his own. But just how much can Jace handle? He always said he wanted to live in a tunnel and carry on tradition with traveling, but the lad had no experience. All he had were notes and journals left from his father, but it wasn't the same as having parental figures of your own kind to teach you how to survive… Tunnel deku are a social species that heavily depend on others of their kind. It was going to be tough out there, and Jace would learn the hard way.  
"I wish I could help you settle in…" Acacia finished sadly. Jacon moved away from her, seeing the glassiness grow in her eyes. He just smiled brightly at her, unaware that he was using his sunny demeanor and his dad's notes and knowledge to hide his fear and childish innocence. Was he scared? He honestly did not know, for he was too excited.

"I love you." He said whilst hugging her. "I'm going to go… The sooner I go, the happier King Barum will be."  
Acacia knew the home would be sad without him, but she wasn't going to say it. She nudged her snout to his forehead before wiping leaves gently from his face, momentarily seeing his X birthmark. This just reminded her that he couldn't be kept in the palace like a bird in a cage any longer. The child was dying because of that mark. It simply would not have been fair to him to waste his precious time. With one final farewell, he left the gardens and walked the main path to the palace exit. Guards were standing there, quick to fare him goodbye. The bright-headed lad looked back one more time to take a good look at the only place he's known for the last five years. He's been out of the palace, but it was so rare a chance that he didn't know what to expect now that he was to permanently leave.

He hoisted the strap of his rucksack over his shoulder, practically still dragging the bag, and began to walk over the swamp docks to head out. However, he was quickly tackled from behind and stopped, startling the boy silently. Jace turned when he saw the princess holding onto him and burying her face against him as if telling him not to go. The princess was mute however and only spoke in leaf and sign language. He understood some of both, but no words were needed. He turned to hug her, only to have the prince hug him as well.

"Little bro, you don't have to leave..." Auran said as he held Jace in a hug. "I-I'll talk to my father, I'll make him give you the best room! I-I'll even bug him about making you an actual prince! You can have everything... I know my dad is mean to you, but surely he'll change... Please, please stay. It wont be the same without you."  
After hearing Auran's plea, the adopted boy wrapped his arms around Aritha and Auran tightly, placing his face between theirs and looking down. The children stood in the hugging circle for a few moments before Jace pulled away.  
"I'm sorry guys, but I have to go... I have things I need to do. I'll still visit though... Please don't be sad..."  
Aritha grabbed Auran's hand and pulled it, as if saying "Please don't let him go."  
The prince looked to his surrogate brother, trying to think of a way to make him stay. But he knew he couldn't stop him, and he knew he did not belong in the palace. He continued to try and speak, but realization would always stop him. The prince finally sighed and his leaves flattened to his head.  
"... Fine... But you better visit! Please, don't forget about us!"  
"You act like I'm never coming back. C'mon, we're brothers! Like we always say... Want it or not, I'll always be around! Like that horrible itch you just can't scratch!"

Auran laughed and he wiped his face. Jace held his fat hand out to Auran and balled it into a fist. The prince hesitated for a moment, but he balled up his fist and knocked it against Jace's own and they chuckled at each other. The princess then pulled on Auran's arms again, her eyes watering.  
"I'm sorry sister, but we need to let him go..."  
Aritha shook her head no and grabbed Jace's arm. The boy leaned down to her and looked the princess in the eyes. "I'm sorry... But I promise I'll come back! I'll visit and keep in touch. You know I don't break promises."  
Upon this, she let Jace go and wiped her face. The poor boy felt guilty for making her sad, but he would definitely keep to his word... He gave his very last farewells and the children waved him bye. They watched as he vanished into the cave at the side of the palace, which lead through the deku shrine and into the outer reaches of the swamp forests. It was beyond here that Jace would find the deku village.

The forest was tall, dark, and dense. And even as he entered the village after the short trek, trees still towered above everything. It had been at least a year since he last saw this village. Before, he was not permitted to leave the palace often, since it was deemed unfair to the other kids. But now he could pass through as much as he desired! His eyes widened- his shackles were gone! Deku tall and short passed by, giving Jace looks of surprise. A few questioned, "Is that the Leavance boy?" or "What is he doing here?"

Excitement boiled within him till it overfilled the brim and he pattered out through the giant settlement with zest. He zig-zagged around passersby and chuckled excitedly. He had all the time in the world to see everything! He ran from shop-to-shop, to places of interest, and finally stopped at the front of the large tree at the center of town. This giant tree was home to many many deku scrubs. He'd been in it before, but he was practically vibrating because he had the freedom to just do whatever he wanted! He didn't know what to do now that he was here though. It wasn't until he realized that this was a house to many deku that he remembered that HE had to find a place to live...

He turned away from the large tree, trying hard to remember which way his father's old storage and training tunnel was. It had been so long since he'd been there, his memory was just a wee rusty. The boy finally forced himself to calm down, even though he wanted badly to explore. He knew finding a place to stay tonight was probably more important than farting around town. He grunted frustratedly at this fact and pried himself away from his curiosity. He had a tunnel to find and work on! He began pattering to the back of the village, eventually reaching one of its many exits. He stopped long enough to scan the area, reading his mental map of the path. After thinking on it, he remembered the way once more.

Now with a mental map set, he dashed onward through the thick woods- bare foot and young spirited. He was so excited! He would make a living and get himself out there! He'd see his old home again! What would he find? What new things may he learn? What fun awaits him on his adventure to obtaining independence? He was overconfident that he would instantly know what to do whence he arrived. He was his father's son after all- there wasn't a thing he couldn't do, and he had no one holding him back! He ran and ran, jumping over things and climbing large obstacles that stood before him. Nothing stopped him!

With a flying leap, he reached his destination and stopped in a clearing. It looked as if there was nothing here and that it held no significance. But he knew that wasn't true. He gazed upward, taking in the area around him. It hadn't changed at all here. He soon gave an excited huff when he remembered where the front door was! He threw his gaze to an old log laying within the clearing and he dashed to it. He put his back to it and pushed the fallen tree piece away to reveal a hole underneath it. Neon green light shined through the hole, just as he remembered.  
He stepped his little foot inside on an earthy step, freezing to make sure the tunnel was still fully there. He then continued his escalation down into this burrow, silent and careful in case something was living in it. The tunnel scrub child took whiffs of the air down here. The dirt hadn't been touched in quite some time and the home smelled melancholically empty. No one had lived here since... Well, almost five years ago. Last time Jace was here was after his dad died and Acacia brought him to get his belongings. His excitement fizzled and his shoulders lowered. He was now standing in the den, the only light within it being the neon green glowing mushrooms growing throughout. They held memories, many that he reflected on. There were only two rooms, which was the den and the storage room. The den doubled as the sleeping space. The bed was still there, though it was unkept and in shambles. The bed posts needed to be fixed and the bed itself needed to be dusted off. Upon looking around, he could see most of Geroh's belongings were still here. Most notably, his giant bookshelf of journals and some old, dull training swords.

His father always talked about adding in other rooms and even had blueprints for it! Though Geroh died before he had the chance to fix it up for Jace. The boy took a deep breath before sitting down on the floor and opening his rucksack. He dug through it until he found one notebook. Written on the front was "Advice and notes". It was the starter journal that Geroh left Jace, teaching him the basics of things such as digging tunnels, taking care of himself underground, among other things. Inside it was the folded sketched blueprint of the finished structure of the tunnel. He opened it and scanned the drawing, admiring his father's clean lines and careful calculations.  
Jace had read through the entire thing several times and was confident for having studied it so much. He studied the blueprint many times as well. He felt like he'd know exactly what to do when he finally moved in here! He'd get to it and start digging and make the greatest tunnel system ever!

But... Now that he was here and moving in, he was lost. All that studying, all the reading... It was like studying for the crazy math test and saying you'll ace it, then show up and find out you _still_ don't understand a thing. And his young mind was not able to fully comprehend the complexity of the blueprint. This quickly caused his high hopes to crash against him and he gazed sadly at the drawing. He threw his gaze around the earthly den, not even knowing where to start. He looked through the journal, but nothing made sense anymore. He understood, but at the same time he didn't. What he had imagined in his head- a work of art with tunnels, now seemed like an impossibility. What could a mere child do? His father once told Jace stories about how he was digging tunnels and fending for himself by the time he was ten!

He got up from his seat and looked over the walls. He first approached the left wall and ran his hand over it, trying to draw out a mental tunnel. He could see it! But how would he make it real? Where would he start? He ran back to his bag to get a little spade from it. He then dashed back over to the wall. He stuck his chest out, cut his eyes, and stamped his foot.  
"Alright! Here I go!" he spoke out assertively.

With a soft clank and the agitation of the dirt wall, he tried to draw out the door. Until he realized he was too short... He had to stop and push a stump chair over to reach the highest of the doorway. Even as he questioned "How?" he still continued drawing out the door. Once done, he began to shovel dirt from the wall. This was hard however, given his father padded the walls so securely and tightly. He spent the past hour just attempting to dig out that door, but made little headway and grew tired fast. All he had was a little hole about as tall as himself. He stopped long enough to look over it, before forcing himself back to working on it.

Shoveling, jabbing, tossing... Dirt flew across the den with another hour passing by and his little self-sized hole got deeper. His tiny hands were hurting and his leaves tickled the roof of his tiny doorway. After getting this deep, he simply could not do it anymore... He sat down in his tiny tunnel, realizing just how awful it looked. And he hardly made any headway! He'd never been able to practice tunnel-digging at the palace, so this was a strange change of pace. He looked down, wishing his father were here to help him... The notes were nice, but he truly desired having an adult to help him. He remembered just how soft Geroh's tunnels were, but Jace's own were turning out awful. It wasn't until he heard a cracking sound that he became startled. What was that? His leaves twitched in warning when a small grain of dirt hit them. He looked up, and a tiny crack was forming in the roof of his tunnel. He had enough time to squeak in shock and try to move, but a giant pile of loosened dirt came crashing down on him, leaving only part of his head poking out.

After the dust settled, his hand rustled out of the pile and he coughed. He stood and pushed off the dirt blanket only to find that part of his tunnel collapsed in! What did he do wrong? He dug through the pile of dirt to dig out his spade before trying to use the broken area to his advantage. He hastily tried smoothing it out, but it only caused more to fall down on him. But this didn't stop him! He was indeed disappointed with his terrible work, but nay! He was not going to let this folly halt his attempts. He tried and tried again, but everything he did just caved and the tunnel was beginning to shift from a straight corridor to a... Somewhat crooked one.

It was getting later and his tunnel was becoming an abomination! It finally came to the point that he gave up. The boy looked over his tunnel only to drop his spade and lower his eyes. Mounds of dirt filled corners of the walkway where parts of the ceiling fell in, and the tunnel was uneven. He left the tunnel, leaving his spade. Once out, he looked at the doorway he'd carved into the wall. The beautiful, smooth, intricately worked wall done with such expertise was damaged by Jace's hideous tunnel way. He remembered vaguely when his father built these walls, and Jace was ruining them. The boy felt a weight on himself and he sat down by his father's advice journal and his eyes became glassy. The more he thought on it, the more he desperately needed his parents.  
The golden headed child huffed softly, now truly taking in the flatlining silence of the underground den, only hearing the nature outside and the wind above ground. His kind were not meant to learn these things alone. They were social, helping creatures. They worked together in clans to build these things normally. Families built houses together! But Jace never truly knew this, only his instincts knew something was off.

Now that he was out of the palace, he didn't have others around to obstruct his view from the permanent pieces missing from him. He grabbed his feather-grass leaves and ran his hand down a few strands much like his mother used to. He didn't remember much of her, but he remembered her shortly before she died. And the way Geroh used to calm him when he was let down or scared; Geroh would gently pet Jace's head and lay with him on the bed, massaging his leaves in a way that would put him straight to sleep. All the boy could do now that he had no one around to hide his feelings behind, was drown in thoughts. He could pretend him petting his leaves was his father or mother, but it never did much to truly make him feel secure and positive. He didn't have a warm body to lean against, or a soft voice to listen to. He didn't have a mentor to tell him, "This tunnel needs work, but you're doing alright." or anyone to say, "Keep going, don't give up."

"I don't know how to do this." he said lowly. "My tunnel keeps collapsing... I don't know what to do. I don't know..." the child picked up the journal and skimmed through pages. He stopped to read some dialogue.

 _Keep calm and stay focused. Always make sure you don't overwhelm yourself. Don't try to finish a project in a day. Do some work, then stop and take a step back. Ask yourself, "What can I do to make this better and safer?" and pick one area to work at. Be sure that you have something to help support unstable areas. If the earth is too unstable, work around it. It doesn't have to be perfect so long as it can be inhabited once done._

"Now Jacon, when you dig into the wall, you must be sure to check the walls and make sure you are digging in good earth."  
"Like dis?" the toddler replied, using a stick to check how hard or soft the wall is.  
Geroh nodded at him, leaves as golden as Jace's own. "Yes, exactly. If it is too soft, it is best not touched. It can be very hard to fix any cave ins done in soft earth. Clay is a good kind of earth to work with, because it is tough and sturdy. You can use clay to help pack in any mess ups. You should ALWAYS keep some clay with you so you can use it to pad down unstable areas."  
"Okay poppa."

With the memory playing in his mind, the child could not deal with the silence anymore. There was no one to hear him and no one to hold him and tell him he's doing alright. There was no one to let him know that first tries don't always succeed. Not a soul could let him know that a piece of art never looks good till finished. A tear escaped his right eye and he rubbed his cursemark. The tear hit the journal and disappeared into the paper. Before long, another tear intruded the moment and he huffed. He was alone. He really was alone. And what growth he was supposed to have, he never got. His voice cracked a squeak and he just stared at the wall, feeling as if he was facing the mass of Stone Tower Temple itself. Building a house? This was too big for him!

His heart grew heavy and his emotions felt like a dam preparing to fall apart. The floodgates of many pushed away needs were starting to open. His trauma, his loneliness... The neglect he's dealt with left his heart maimed and he sniffled. He took a few deep breaths, forcing himself to have to look through glassed eyes. His head hurt a little from his cursemark now, but his heart hurt even more. He was just a child in desperate need of his own kind, in great need of a hug and reassurance... He was a lost duckling, who yet knew how to swim. The waters were too scary.

"Daddy!" his voice finally broke, shouting a cry for his father at the wall. "Momma, daddy, where are you!?"  
His pleas echoed throughout the tunnel, but he only heard his own cry in response. He knew there would be no answer, but he continued crying for them, grasping at having even the feeling that they were with him... But regardless of his cries... No one came.  
" _Why did you leave me so soon!?_ " he sobbed. He huffed and breathed, hugging the journal desperately. This is the first time in at least four years that he's cried like this... He had Acacia for so long to put a band-aid on his emotional wounds and over his missing pieces, so he never paid attention to them. But here they were, out in the air for only himself to see. And it was agonizing.  
"Daddy... Momma, please..." he curled up, bringing his tiny knees up to the journal and hugging it even tighter, sobbing and hiding. It was much too soon for him to be out on his own, but he had no choice... He didn't have enough training time with his parents, and he was far too self-consious about his tunnel work. Already, he wanted to give up. These were tears that he held back for quite some time, but they were finally able to fall. He let go of the journal and placed his hands to his eyes, wiping them at an attempt to stop the waterfall from his tiny spirit-lit lanterns.

"Help me, dad..." he begged hopelessly. "Please help me... I'm not good at this, I can't make tunnels like you could... I'm not a true tunnel deku. I can't live by myself... I don't want to be alone..."  
The journal slid and flopped onto the floor out of his grasp and he removed his hands from his face. He huffed for air and glanced at the book to make sure it hadn't landed on a page and bent. It had landed with a page open however, it was fine. With a sniffle and a reach, he picked up the journal and was about to close it when he spotted one of his dad's drawings on the page. It was a drawing of his father's twin serrated daggers. He wiped his face again and read the info under it.

 _If things get too hard and you can't use or find any of my digging equipment, go ahead and use the family daggers- I wont mind. Be careful, they are sharp and should only be used if they have to be. Once I am gone and if I am gone by the time you read this, you will have already inherited these daggers._

The boy gave a soft groan. Clearly, the palace guards were not willing to bring him his one inheritance... He looked around, wondering where these daggers were.

 _These will be locked away in a chest in the storage room. The chest with the family sigil on it. The key for the chest is hidden in a cubbyhole in the wall in the room. I'm sure you with your sharp digger's eyes, you'll notice an oddly colored place in the wall. Just pull on this and you'll find it. These daggers will later be your children's if you so desire to hand them down. These have been with the family name since we first earned a last name in the days of the Ikanian rule, so take good care of them._

He closed the book and brought himself to stand. The storage room was just right across from the den. It was heavily lit by a giant mushroom at the center of it. Jace walked in, still crying silently. But he kept his eyes open for the chest. There were many chests in here! But all of them were pretty plain. He dusted them off, looking for the family crest, but to no avail. It wasn't until he saw one with another chest stacked on top of it. The boy pushed against the top chest and shoved it off and looked down at this hidden one. Atop it was a yellow signature shape. It was a large leaf with two tiny leaves growing from its base. The large leaf was shaped like the signature dagger leaves on Geroh's and Jace's heads, only with a serrated edge. This leaf shape was a predominant trait in the Leavance name.

A tiny gasp escaped his snout and he scanned the walls looking for the cubbyhole. After searching for a short time, he discovered it hidden behind an ancient, ripped Ikanian tapestry hanging on the wall. The cloth was decorated with a golden draconic beast with long fur on it. Around it were beautiful golden runes and intricate burnt red framing on the cloth. It was littered with holes and age, and was sure to rip if even barely tugged. The boy held no real interest in what was on the cloth, only that he knew his father found this on one of his travels one day. It was sure to be worth a pretty rupee, but Jace would never sell it anyway.

The boy pulled on the off-colored square in the wall, and it turned out to be a carved wooden drawer that was closely colored and painted to look like the wall. It'd be easy to miss for anyone who wasn't looking for it. Inside was a simple silver key, which he quickly removed and put to the chest. The lock gave a satisfying _click!_ , and the chest's lid popped open an inch.

His wet, gleamy eyes beamed in interest as he peaked into the little chest. Resting at the bottom was a neat looking belt with sheathes. In those sheathes gleamed the hilts of the daggers- a clean olive green in color. If Jace looked hard enough, he could see faded initials carved into the hilts. One had a faded "Mi-" on it, and a clearer "Aeg-" on the other. Jace stared at them as if he'd known the weapons forever, like he lost them and suddenly found them again! He didn't know why, but he instantly knew he owned them. He pulled out the weapons and unsheathed one with a clean _shing_ ringing throughout the storage room. His father had told him the stories behind them- they had a sad beginning and were used poorly. But Geroh made use of them and gave them a proper light. Maybe Jacon could as well?

The boy was surprisingly careful with the blade, looking at his eyes in the scratched silver reflection of it. It was cleaned and sharpened before it was packed away in this little chest. Jace had done some blade training with his father, but it was with wooden swords and sticks. He did practice at the palace, but now he could truly practice and hone his skills. He put the blade away and carried the belt with him back to the den.

"What good are these to me with my tunnel?" he questioned lowly, staring at his awful work. He had to remind himself that he wasn't done, and that it wasn't going to look perfect. He honestly wanted to head back to the palace... But he told himself no. What good would that do him? What would he gain? He wasn't going to give up on day one.  
He took his father's advice and took a step back to look over his tunnel to see what could truly be fixed and what needed to be done. He then also realized that he starting digging without anything to pad in mistakes. He needed clay or another hard, shapable substance. It was getting into later hours and he was already tired. So... He decided he was done for the day.

He had one blank journal with him for when he moved out. He removed it from his bag and began writing notes in it. His eyes remained glassy, for today was ending rather sadly for him. He wrote out how his first day was and finished it off with notes to remind himself of what he needed to do tomorrow.  
Once his notes were set, he closed his journal and set it aside. He spent the next hours looking for a clean sheet to throw over the bed, and he dusted off the bed. He had nothing to do that night and just rested curled on his side, hugging the sheet and getting lost in imaginings. There was nothing more maddening than being alone and losing everything you knew. This was a feeling Jace felt he knew deeply... He felt... Like he'd been driven mad by loneliness before, but why? It was a feeling he was desperately trying to push away, as if the feeling would turn him into something he hated.

He shut his eyes, silently crying himself into an early sleep. He hugged the sheet tighter, pretending his father was lulling him to sleep, like he used to. T'was the last memory he had in this home... In his sleep, he heard a voice. As he rested, he listened... All he saw was darkness. However, the voice began to ring clear and deep.

" _Hey..._ "

" _Jace? Can you hear me?_ "

 _Who is this? Who are you? You aren't my father..._

" _No, I am not... I can't tell you who I am. I know things are hard, but don't let being alone drive you down a hole. It will only do harm._ "

 _How do you know? You don't know anything about me..._

" _I know more about you and about these things than you yourself know. I shouldn't be talking to you like this, but I don't want to see you fall apart so young. I am your conscience, I guess... I'm here to let you know that you can do this._ "

 _But... I'm too weak. I'm not like my mom and dad. I can't dig into a wall with ease, and I can't hide how sad I am... I can't not cry._

" _Dear me, you aren't weak. You are very strong, you just need to train yourself. It can be hard, but you have this. And on your own, you will only get stronger. Strength isn't always physical. It is first found within. When you wake up tomorrow, you just do your best, okay? And don't worry about crying out, it isn't good to cap your feelings. If you need to cry, just cry. I know you don't see anyone, but I and your family are holding you in our arms and watching over you._ "

 _You and I will get through this..._

The voice faded and Jace remained deep in sleep... In his rest, he'd dream sweet dreams throughout the night, hoping for a brighter future and a better tomorrow. He didn't bother wondering who he was talking to, only that he knew they were there to help. And help they did, for he felt he wasn't quite as alone as he looked.

With the waking morning, the child's eyes peaked open to hear the sounds of birds upon the surface. It was a weird morning, given this was the first morning he'd wake up without a guard shouting at him to get to homeschooling class with the prince and princess.  
He sat up, the sheets rolling off of himself... Was it early? He couldn't tell. He looked around, hearing morning birds outside. So surely it wasn't too late? He wiped dried tears from his eyes and he tossed his legs over to hang from the side of the bed. He pondered about his many dreams last night, especially the first one. They were all happy and uplifting though, much to his relief. It helped him get a well-needed rest.

A first goal was heading outside to get himself his morning sunlight to start him off for the day. His little head popped out of the hole and he squinted his eyes at the sky. It wasn't horribly bright, but his eyes were trying to adjust to the pale bright morning haze. It was indeed an early morning. He threw his gaze around, seeing that the coast was clear. Slowly, he crawled out of the hole and out into the clearing. The dew of the grass tickled his bare feet and he stretched skyward. A little bit of sun hit his head and he soaked in the god's celestial gold. He could feel energy coming back to him and he smiled... He spent quite a bit of time walking around outside before finally deciding he needed to get back to work. And this time today, he'd have a little more hope and faith in his work. The clear morning haze and his written out notes filled him with determination, after all.

He wasted no time and tossed his things together, threw his daggers into his bag, and grabbed his journal up under the arm, and he set out for the village to grab the things he needed. He had some allowance saved up from helping Acacia with the gardens in the past. And with this allowance, he didn't have anything to spend it on till now. He considered going back to the palace to visit, but he didn't want to go back telling them he hadn't done much... He wanted to go back telling them he had succeeded! He aspired to make Acacia proud, and he wanted to prove he had things under control.

So began his trek for the village. And as time passed, he reached his destination. The village was bustling in the morning air and folks were either on their way to work or taking their children to school. Jace was lucky though- he didn't have to go! He walked below- or at level depending on the deku, with others as he pressed through the morning risers. Few asked him if he was lost or if he needed help. But per norm, he'd tell them he was fine and that he didn't need help. First thing he did was go to the marketplace and look over the stands for things that caught his interest.

"Excuse me, can I have some of those blueberries?" he asked, standing just tall enough for his eyes to look over the counter. The deku tending the shop was short as well and had to stand on a stump. She had a sleek snout and succulent leaves.  
"Jacon? What're you doing out here by yourself?"

"I moved out yesterday, I'm living at my dad's tunnels now!"  
The young woman seemed legitimately shocked. She leaned back before leaning in close. "So young? Are you sure you can handle being out there in those woods alone? It's dangerous out there. Are you not scared?"  
Jace shook his head no quickly and replied. "No, I'm not scared of the woods, ma'am. I have my swords and daggers to protect me."  
"Hmm... I think you're a bit young to have such things..." she answered while placing some blueberries into a bag for Jacon. "But Geroh always was teaching you, so I guess I shouldn't worry too much..."  
"My dad left me everything I needed! Don't worry!"  
She gave the child a weak smile and sighed. "Alright, if you say so... That'll be five rupees."  
He reached into his rucksack until he found the pocket holding all his money. He pulled out five green rupees and placed them on the counter. "Thank you, ma'am!"  
"Be safe, Jacon!" she called just as he was pattering away with his blueberries in hand. His next stop would be to find a place to grab some clay. Finding clay just laying around here was a bit hard, so he'd have to buy that... And he knew one place where he could. He'd also get to see some friends in the process!

The home he approached sold flowers of many. The yard started and ended in just flowers! And it was here you could also buy different, special kinds of dirt that are hard to find in the swamp, as well as decorative yard pieces if one so desired. The scruffy blond headed lad ran into the yard and quickly caught the attention of an adult watering the flowers for sale. It was a grown, somewhat old armless deku, using water cupped in her leaves to water. This lady was named Gardena, last name being Florance.  
"Verin, child, what brings you here? Finally left the palace?"  
The boy gave an excited "Yes ma'am!" and added on with, "Miss Florance, do you have any bags of clay I can buy?"  
"Clay? Oh my, what do you need that for? That's some heavy earth."  
"I need it for my tunnels!"

Gardena gave a soft nod and a gentle, "Ahh..." before responding. "That's right, your father used to use clay to pad in his tunnel walls, huh? Hold on a second my dear." she turned to call for assistance, given she clearly could not help with such a task herself.  
"Rosana, Lanks!"

Two children peaked out from behind a ramshackle shed holding watering cans. Rosana was a tiny little deku much like the lady who called her, but she had rosy petal-like leaves gowning her with large green leaves on her back that looked much like butterfly wings. She had four vine arms for the front and back. She was tiny and shy, but was happy to see Jace once she spotted him.

The other child was incredibly tall with long, pointy leaves on his head. He had a body much like a palm tree, and appeared to be a little older than both Jace and Rosana. There wasn't much else to him other than his line-marked body. The children ran over, greeting Jace excitedly.  
"Jace, man! I haven't seen you in forever!" Lanks called, running up to him. Jace had to look up quite a ways to see eye-to-eye with him.  
"Haha, you need to quit growing Lanks, you're getting taller than the trees!"

"H-hi, Jacon..." Rosana's soft little voice greeted. Jace hugged both children, knowing them well.  
"S-so... They let you leave the palace for a little?"  
"No... They let me leave forever!" he said proudly, as if trying to make himself look more grown up. Both the children gave surprised gasps.  
Lanks waved his hands in excitement. "Wait, so you're living by yourself now?"  
"Yup! At my dad's old tunnels!"  
The mile-tall deku boy was practically jumping in place. "Dude, can you hang around for a while? I want to hear more, and we never see you anymore!"

A golden leaf flicked, gleaming a little as it did. Jace rubbed the back of his head and he chuckled softly. "I'm sorry, but I can't today. I've got a lot of work to do. But, once I'm done fixing up my tunnel work, I'll come by sometime!"  
"Aw man... Alright." Lanks groaned. Rosana's mother- the business owner, was very surprised to hear Jace was building his tunnels on his own. If there were any tunnel scrubs in the village that she knew, she'd have one go over and help him. Sadly, she did not know any.  
"Don't get too upset Lanky, I'll still come around the village when I need things, so you'll still see me." Jace added on, smiling in his eyes.  
Lanks groaned and nudged Jace with his foot. "How many times do I have to say not to call me Lanky!"

The boys laughed, and Rosana giggled softly. She didn't quite know what to say, given she was so shy. She was just happy to know that Jace was doing okay. Gardena then looked to the children and cleared her throat. "Rosana, can you and your friend fetch Jace some clay? He needs some for his tunnels."  
"Y-yes ma'am!"

The children left to load up a bag of clay on a wheelbarrow and brought it to him. The child seemed just a little uncertain when he saw the size of the bag.  
"Do you need help getting it there?" Rosana's mother asked. After staring at the bag for a few moments, he shook his head and chuckled lowly.  
"I-I think I got it..."  
Jace went to pull the bag out, but it turned out to be heavier than he thought. He managed to yank it from the wheelbarrow and onto the ground and lifted a small corner. He was clearly struggling with getting it lifted.  
Gardena finally attempted to stop him, worrying he'd hurt himself. "Jacon, here, let Lanks get tha-"  
"Oh, no no, I got it ma'am..." Jace wheezed, pulling the corner up higher. He finally had it at a corner where he could safely keep hold of it. Though, of course he couldn't lift it completely. He reached into the open pocket on his rucksack and pulled out some rupees after seeing the price on the bag.

"Here you go!" he said with struggle in his tone. Rosana took the rupees off his hand. He then began dragging the bag from the yard. He was holding the corners over his shoulders, but he certainly wasn't carrying the bag. He was leaned over and dragging it. The children and mother watched, wishing that Jace would have accepted their help. However, the child wanted to prove himself.  
"Take care, Jace! Be safe!" called Gardena. The children called bye to him, making Jace smile. He looked back and wished them farewell and promised he'd be careful. He then went back to dragging the bag of clay. He told himself it'd be a long travel back and inwardly asked himself if he was in his right mind...

It took him a long, long time to get back home. It took many stops and rests before he managed to reach the home's clearing. He was thirsty and worked ragged by this time. He dropped what tiny piece he had lifted and dropped to his hands and knees panting. The little boy allowed himself to lay down on the cool, dew-covered grass. His little hands hurt and his back hurt. He flipped himself over to face the sky, taking deepened breaths and panting still. His leaves were flattened against his head and his curse was acting up. He had a little headache and he brought his hand up to massage the X mark on his face and sighed.  
"I... Did it..." he wheezed. After getting over his aches and tiredness, he gave a soft accomplished chuckle and grin. "I made it back...!"

He looked at the bag and realized that this may not be the first time he'd be dragging back a bag of clay, which caused him to groan. This was far from over. His hopes again fell on him, unsure if his little body could handle doing such tasks so often. And he still needed to get the bag into the tunnel... He sat up and forced himself back to work. He grabbed the corners again and began dragging it back to his tunnel hole. This would be the start of his true hard work. There was much struggle, for he lost many years worth of what should have been lifting and training with his parents. He constantly reminded himself that his father was carrying around bags like these when he was young, making Jace feel as though he was not worthy of doing this work. He'd never say it out loud, for his pride kept him positive. It was really the only thing he had to keep him working toward his goal.

 _When building out a tunnel door, don't ever just keep digging deeper. You carve out the door shape by at least half a foot. Keep doing this and the tunnel will build itself. But be sure you keep in mind the direction you are digging._

Geroh's words echoed through Jace's mind as he got to work. All he'd studied resurfaced now that he was calm. Though there wasn't a moment that went by that he didn't imagine his mom and dad padding the walls with him. The hours wiled away as he worked. The boy had a maturity and patience that would keep him on the project. There were moments of laughter when he thought back on things, and times of tear shedding as well- but he never stopped. He worked all day, only taking breaks to get drinks, some berries, and sun. Then he'd get right back to it.

He'd use everything he needed. His spade, a dagger, and even his hands to carve and work the wall to how he wanted. Being young- and his first tunnel, of course it wasn't smooth and perfect. And still, there were cave-ins to learn from, but all he did was re-situate his vest, puff out his chest, and pad the missing chunks with mixed and hardened clay as if it were cement. By the end of the day, he had a little door worked out that went in by at least a foot and a half. He gained this progress by the time nightfall was rolling around. It was then he made himself stop...

That night, he laid outside in the clearing to watch the stars as a reward for his work. And again, he cried just a little with the weight of his chores and loneliness suffocating him. He was seeking council from spirits that were not to answer out loud. The velvet sky glittered as it got later, and he remained where he was. He was hoping the voice he heard in his sleep last night would be here to help, but even he was no where to be heard. He looked to his hands. They hurt and were caked with dirt. His soft skin was not toughened and worked like most tunnel scrub children should be. The most work his hands knew were handling wooden or light training swords. Even so, his little hands had new cuts and scrapes just from all the earth and rocks he had to plow through today. It wasn't easy he realized, and it hurt.  
"I wont stop." he glared. "I'll keep working!"

Days became weeks, and weeks became months. It was now into Summer, and he continued working on his tunnel. His eleventh birthday had even rolled around, and he just kept going. But with the weeks, with trial and error, with many scrapes and cuts- his tunneling became faster. Those days that became weeks, he was still dragging bags- but he got faster at it. Those weeks that became months, were days of growing strength. He started lifting them partially over his back, though was still dragging them. By the time his eleventh birthday had passed, it became a common chore. It remained struggling, but it progressed his growth. He was becoming even more hard-working than before. He had a vigorous workflow, and those in the village noticed this. The orphan did not let his roadblocks stop him, he'd just climb over them. And over time? He'd burst right through those emotional obstacles, and he grew stronger.

There were many tears, but they grew lesser and lesser over time. That helpless child was growing into a well-oiled steam train. And though he wasn't as strong as his father, he made things work. He took all the pain, all the wounds he may have obtained, and all the mental affliction and turned them into experience. He wasn't expecting all this trouble when he first moved out, but he welcomed the challenges with open-arms. It eventually came to the point that he looked forward to the things he were to learn. He taunted the things that stood before him and tackled them head-on. By the ending of Summer, he was a calloused young man- mentally and physically. As his tunnel was nearing it's general completion, he'd begun working on sword training outside at night. He had a solid workflow, training himself for his traveling days. He wanted to be traveling by the time he was twelve or thirteen. And as always? He kept to his goals!

Here on this final day, we see that he has finally completed the tunnel and the room it connected to. It wasn't perfect, but he'd smoothen it out over time. For now, it was inhabitable, and that's all he cared about. The boy walked through the tunnel, admiring his hard work. His arms had areas with bandages, and his hands were wrapped. You could see some fresh sap bleeding through them on some places where he'd accidentally cut himself. His leaves were grown out longer and his eyes seemed a slight sharper. Having been out of the palace, he had grown faster and healthier. His kind were not meant to be kept in a cage, and this was evident by how fast he's begun shooting up. Clearly, he was still a child. But something about him just seemed more adult than before.

Jace began with a deep breath as he reached the start of the door, remembering when he first dug it out. Now standing before his work, he looked at it. He saw deep down into the tunnel via the light of his confident eyes. This is the first of many months that he's felt so big and proud. He stuck his chest out and a tear hung in the corner of his eye. But he wore on his face a look of accomplishment. He stood up straight and smiled big and furrowed his brows.  
"Good lords, it's finally done!" Jace commented. "I finally finished my first tunnel!"  
He looked around the den, already trying to find out what to work on next. He generated another room to the right of the den in his mind, maybe turning part of the storage room into a kitchen within the years. He could picture trying to find a nearby water-source and hooking it underground for easy-access water. He then reminded himself not to overwhelm himself with work.

He now had a small pickax, which he'd bought over the course of the months. He laid it down before plopping his butt down on the bed. The bed was still on the floor with its bed posts off, given he hadn't had much time to fix that. Clearly, he wasn't too worried about it. He'd be taking the bed apart soon anyway to move it to his brand new bedroom, then he could make more room in the den for other things. Possibly even widen the den!  
Even though he wanted to continue some type of work, he also wanted to rest... But he couldn't quit admiring his tunnel work! He made this, and it was safe. He didn't see it being perfect, but it was well enough. Unlike usual, where he would pretend to be proud to make himself feel better, he had a real reason. And from then on, he'd always know he had a reason.

"If ya can, let me know what you think dad. I'm sure right now, you'd be critiquing it. And I wouldn't mind one bit." He leaned back on his hand, being sure it wasn't his cut hand. "I'm sorry it took so long. But... Maybe I'll get faster? I promise I'll still work on it when I'm out traveling around for our family curse's cure. I'll always be doing something productive."  
By now, it was getting later and the sun was bidding farewell. However, instead of his regular sword training or dagger training, he just made a hammock out of a sheet and laid in it, watching the sky slowly shift away into the night. He'd spend tonight just pondering on what he's to do next, and probably make plans for tomorrow. He'd finally go see Acacia and tell her he's settled in enough. He's built his first tunnel and he's getting the hang of it. So long as he was capable of that- it was a good start.  
"I hope to be as strong and wise as you, mom and dad. Just as mom always said, I'll find the answers. I'll fix the family curse, and no more will our lives be taken." he reached up to the sky, pretending to hold a star in his fingers. "And once that is done, you'll have a reason to call me a true Leavance son. I'll get strong and make a difference."

As if the heavens gave him an answer, a few stars gleamed within his eyesight. He just smiled in his eyes. The only Leavance son felt a cross between happiness and pain in his heart. But, mostly happiness. Jace knew tonight wasn't a night to be down. He kept the positive look in his eye, and it was sure to stay and grow more prominent. This was his beginning, the start of him growing up.  
"Now... What's next on my list of challenges? I'll be ready for them. And if not, I'll give it my all."


End file.
